


Tobirama Focused Snippets

by VWebb



Category: Naruto
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Cultural Differences, Founding Konoha, Genderfluid, Genius Tobirama Senju, Good Brother Hashirama, No True Storyline, Uchiha Izuna Lives, disconnected chapters, relatively
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2020-12-31 01:53:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21040820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VWebb/pseuds/VWebb
Summary: Individual snippets following Tobirama as the village is built.  Izuna lives so there's less angst.  Just a series of little scenes.Individual chapters that don't really belong to the same universe because I'm not creating an overarching plot.  However they should all be close enough as they come from the same general head-space.





	1. He's... Izuna

A black and blue blur streaked through the trees. The scent of burning pine and sparks of charred wood drifting through the air.

Madara knew better than to look behind him as he ran, three Uchiha children clutched desperately in his arms. He’d been separated from the rest of the patrol group that had been sent out after the bloodline thieves that had used the cover of a merchant caravan to steal Uchiha children. Unfortunately, this part of the forest was unnervingly close to the Senju lands and Madara didn’t know the terrain as well as he liked.

Running through the trees he could hear the rushing of a river in the distance and turned slightly, aiming for the sound of water. Hopefully he was hearing one of the branches of the Naka and if he could follow it, he could find himself back in familiar land soon.

Unexpectedly, rounding a cluster of trees, Madara saw the group of armored kidnappers coming from in front of him. _How did they get in front of me?_ Bounding up to ricochet off a tree, Madara tried to keep as much momentum going as possible as he turned again, this time heading in what he hoped was a clear direction. Simultaneously he spat a concentrated stream of fire at the closest nin chasing him, killing him quickly.

There was something about the group, some technique, that was hiding them from his sensing. Tightening his grip on Megumi and Masao, he shifted his other arm where is was around Kenta. He knew, that if he wasn’t carrying three of the clan’s children, he would have been able to kill all of the shinobi chasing him. As it was, the group was down by at least half, but it hadn’t stopped them.

Madara also knew that whatever the leader had poisoned him with was still in his body. He didn’t know what it was, but he could feel himself slowing down. It wasn’t one of the fast-acting neurotoxins favored in the Land of Wind, he was still alive, but that left a lot of room. Considering that the group had been stealing clan children, it was probably a sedative of some sort, which was good news for him. But, at the same time, he was running hard, depending on which one it was the drug might be hitting him hard soon. He's an adult, so hopefully he'd be able to power through.

Crackling flames were spreading from the numerous small fires he had lit in the course of his flight. Madara’s attention was caught by the firelight glinting off something.

“Break right, I’ll deal with them.”

Startling hard, Madara’s attention snapped to Senju Tobirama’s sudden presence running at his side. He watched sharp eyes take in the elder Uchiha and the burden he was carrying before without any seeming effort the Senju’s speed increased and he disappeared into the trees.

Madara sped up as much as he could. With Senju in the area, particularly the White Demon, he needed to get back to Uchiha lands or find the rest of his patrol as soon as possible. Angling to the left, Madara hoped he wasn’t too far turned around from where he thought he was. A little luck and the Naka should be just ahead.

Bounding through the trees Madara caught the glint of wires spread between the trunks. Ducking and weaving as much as he could he slipped through the trap. Passing the last line, he used a convenient tree trunk to launch himself high enough to kick the waiting shinobi in the throat, crushing it; another stream of fire killing his partner. Unfortunately, as he was dealing with the first two, the rest of the waiting shinobi were unopposed. The sickle and chain that wrapped around his extended ankle snapped tight just as he was about to land throwing him forward to impact one of the great trees at a bad angle. Feeling his ankle snap Madara was only able to twist just enough to take the impact of the tree on his shoulder instead of letting his body crush the young children in his arms.

Immediately dropping the children he had been holding, hoping they hadn’t been injured, Madara flipped hard in the direction of the sickle chain, spinning to unwind it from his leg. Landing in a crouch, ignoring the crunch of his broken ankle, sharigan spinning, Madara found the closest bloodline thief just in time to watch as a blue and silver blur sped past it in a spray of red.

Madara flipped backwards towards the crying pile of Uchiha children as he watched the White Demon kill the last of the bloodline thieves in the little clearing they had set up to trap him. Sunlight angled down from the canopy where the falling tree that had created the opening in the forest had broken through the leafy cover.

Bracing himself over his clan’s children, Madara’s senses went out, desperate to find a trace of the rest of his patrol group. Being injured and cornered by the Demon Senju, guarding three children too young to defend themselves; this was a nightmare he’d never thought to have.

“Do you not know your left from your right, Uchiha?”

Madara bristled at the white haired Senju who had come to a stop facing him just a handful of steps away. Sensing several more shinobi in the woods around them, and knowing that they must be more Senju, Madara braced himself as best he could. “I’m not going to let you hurt them, Senju,” he growled. Fingers ready to counter anything the Senju Demon threw at them.

The white Senju in front of him didn’t respond to the accusation. Only moving to twitch his fingers at the younger shinobi at the edge of the trees who had jerked forward in aggression at Madara’s words.

“Tobirama-sama!”

Tobirama ignored the Senju at his back, “peace, Uchiha. The Senju do not tolerate bloodline thieves any more than the Uchiha do.”

Madara snorted in disbelief. He could feel the Senju around him. There were another four he couldn't see. The Senju might not tolerate thieves, but that didn’t mean that Madara and the babies with him were safe. Just that their eyes wouldn’t be stolen and Megumi, Masao and Kenta would die quickly instead of being raised and turned into breeding stock.

Trying not to shift too noticeably, Madara cursed internally; he could feel the sedative he had been hit with starting to affect him a little more. He was still combat capable, but he had doubts that he would be able to take Tobirama down in the condition he was in. As it was, he was pretty sure he was losing little bits of time. Otherwise why would the White Demon just be standing there across from him. Why hadn’t he attacked yet.

“Shinji.”

“Yes, Tobirama-sama?”

“Are the fires out?”

“Yes, sir. Kaoru is backtracking the Uchiha’s tracks to make sure she got everything.”

“Hn.”

“Minoru went with her Tobirama-sama. He’ll watch her back, make sure no one ambushes her.”

“Good.”

Was the Senju just going to wait until the drugs in Madara’s system took him down. Probably. That sounded like the coldly efficient type of thing the White Demon would do; taking advantage of an enemy’s injuries. Not letting anything so obvious as tense muscles betray him, Madara prepared to go down fighting. Hopefully he would make a big enough disturbance that Hiko and the rest of the patrol would come in time to at least save the children.

An up turned palm facing him caused Madara to pause just long enough for Tobirama to tilt his head towards the Senju teenager he had been talking to. “Shinji, explain to Madara my standing orders as they pertain to himself.”

“Tobirama-sama?”

“…”

“Yes, sir. Standing orders are to render whatever aid can safely be given to prevent the Uchiha clan head from dying. If possible. No Senju is to put themselves at risk, however the death of Uchiha Madara is to be avoided. No Senju is to attack Uchiha Madara.”

Madara blinked in shock, sharigan spinning furiously as he took in the Senju in front of him as well as the teenager hovering just inside the tree line at the edge of the little clearing. As usual, he couldn’t see much of Tobirama’s reaction or emotions. The stoic Senju was too controlled, to restrained for even the sharigan’s analytical abilities to deconstruct his motives easily. It was why the Uchiha had originally called him the Ghost Senju; he was like a ghost to their senses: hiding himself from their understanding, blending into the background of all but their best sensors, pale skin and hair like a ghost. 

But the boy; the boy was much easier to read. There was outrage there, and aggression towards himself. Contrasting with the hero-worship aimed at the elder Senju, combined with confusion about Tobirama’s actions as well as the orders he had been given. But overall, there was truth. The orders were _true_ and had been true for long enough that reciting them induced an automatic annoyance at being required to recite them _yet again._

“What?” Madara’s question was flat. He was acutely aware of the sound of crying and moving coming from behind him. He needed to take care of this quickly before the babies were put in even more danger.

Tobirama stared steadily back as he again addressed Shinji, “Shinji, who is the next in line to be the Uchiha clan head after Madara?”

“Uchiha Izuna.”

Madara looked at Tobirama where he was standing in front of him staring at him as if that meant something. The Senju heir was staring at him as if Shinji had said something profound. As if all the explanation anyone would ever need had just been given.

“What!” Madara snarled, hair bristling up and the scent of burning cinnamon starting to fill the air. “Make sense, damn Senju!”

Despite the fact that Tobirama didn’t move at all, and his expression never changed, Madara still puffed up in rage. He could _feel_ the exasperation and derision wafting off of him. The damn Senju was calling him stupid in his head, he just knew it!

“What is my brother’s greatest wish, Uchiha?”

“What? Hashirama?” Madara didn’t know what the white demon was talking about. “How should I know!” he shouted.

After being stared at for several breaths and made to feel even more like an idiot the Senju in front of him did something so _strange_. The White Demon actually shifted his stance and lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose between his eyes. Having the Demon Senju actually sigh in exasperation as he _closed his eyes_, made Madara feel like all of the teachers he’d ever had had just stood in a circle around him and declared him hopelessly dim. _How the **fuck** did he do that?_

“…Peace, Uchiha. My brother’s greatest wish is peace. He wanted it when he was a child and he routinely yells about it on the battlefield.”

“What?” Madara knew that. He just didn’t know what it had to do with him, a question he immediately shouted, “I know that! What does that have to do with anything!”

Irritated red eyes slanted in his direction as Tobirama continued to explain. “Think, Madara! If your brother became clan head because you died would he ever accept one of Hashirama’s truce requests. Even just a temporary one that lasts for a single season?”

“What?” Madara sputtered, confused. “I mean…, but I haven’t…. I’ve never done that either! Why does it matter!”

Madara would have continued yelling questions at the insufferable Senju in front of him if the crying babies he had been standing in front of protectively hadn’t finished crawling and toddling their way over to him. The feel of little hands latching onto his legs as a snotty, sniffling little face pressed itself just above his knee silenced him better than anything else could have.

Red eyes flicked down to briefly examine the babies Madara’s hand had instinctively gone to check before returning to focus on Madara’s face. “It’s simple, Uchiha. Between you and your brother which one of you is willing to de-escalate the violence and tensions between our clans? It’s certainly not Izuna. I am loyal to my brother. As such, I have instructed the clan that your death is to be avoided, if possible. No clansmen are to endanger themselves for you; you are _not_ an ally. But _I_ will not be the one to prevent Hashirama’s dream. I leave that to you.”

Madara sputtered in shock and rage. It wasn’t _his_ fault that the elders and the clan didn’t believe the Senju; didn’t believe Hashirama was serious about his truce. “So you just don’t want to have to deal with Izuna as clan head!”

“Yes. Izuna being the Uchiha's clan head would be sub-optimal. He’s… Izuna.”

Madara didn’t know how to respond to that. What did that even _mean_? “There’s nothing wrong with Izuna!”

“Hn, he’s… Izuna. That’s all I have to say on that.” Madara hissed in rage at the other’s dismissal of his baby brother.

“I’m going to assume that you would not be willing to allow me to heal your ankle.” The roll of bandages Tobirama threw at him almost hit him in the face he was so surprised at the abrupt change in conversation. The Senju was _infuriating!_ “If you turn around and head in that direction,” the Senju pointed at an angle over Madara’s right shoulder, “you will find a tributary of the Naka. Follow it and it will take you to one of the regular Uchiha patrol routes.”

The White Demon turned to go adding a dismissive comment over his shoulder, “we’ll watch to make sure you get as far as Uchiha lands, then you’re on your own.”

Shinji had already blended back into the forest, leaving as Tobirama had turned around. The rest of the Senju had never shown themselves. Madara kept his senses alert and paying attention as Hashirama’s brother stepped behind a tree and was gone, disappearing from all his senses.

Wishing that he could just drop the bandages on the forest floor, knowing that doing so would be stupid and hurt him more than the White Demon, Madara sat and got to work. Cursing the damn ghost in his mind, Madara used the bandages the Senju had thrown at him in a quick and dirty wrap around his broken ankle before picking up his three babies and heading in the direction Tobirama had indicated. He had a lot to think about.


	2. Tobirama has kids?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all know Tobirama would collect kids if he could.

\--

“We might…. Madara….” Hashirama was looking everywhere but at Madara as the Uchiha clan head waited for whatever he was trying to say. “It’s just... a little, a small. Well….”

Madara was starting to look impatient.

“A problem?” Hashirama’s voice was high-pitched and wavering at the end.

Madara looked across the small table that had been set up under the awning. Hashirama was shifting uncomfortably, looking more uncertain than Madara had seen him since they were children; before the war had hardened them both. Both clan heads were seated at the table, assistants next to them, members and guards from both clans carefully separated on either side of the field they were positioned in. The sides of the large field tent they were using carefully removed, so that everyone and everything was visible from all sides.

“What?”

“….” Hashirama moved his mouth like he was trying to say something, but no sounds came out.

“What!”

“Um….”

“WHAT!” Madara’s hair poofed up and bristled as he leaned aggressively across the small table. “Spit it out, Senju!”

“Uh…” Hashirama started making unintelligible noises. The only vaguely recognizable word possibly being his brother’s name.

Madara exchanged looks with Izuna as they both tried to find the white, ghost Senju in the gathered shinobi on the Senju side of the clearing. Now that they thought about it, it was odd that Tobirama didn’t seem to be present today. It was the first time during these negotiations that the Senju heir was not here, sticking his overly intelligent nose into everything.

“What?”

“Ah…?” Hashirama again started up with the vague noises.

“Stop that!” Madara glared across at this old friend. “What did the demon do now!”

As Hashirama sat there staring helplessly back at them, Izuna started making the steaming kettle noises usually preceding a trip into the koi pond.

“I think, what my oh so eloquent clan head is trying to ask is, ‘what do you know of Tobirama’s reputation?’” The question came from the stone-faced kunoichi that had showed up to the day’s meetings at Hashirama’s side instead of the aforementioned albino.

“What?” Madara was confused. Were they supposed to detail all the reasons the Senju demon was called a demon by the rest of Fire? It hadn’t, after all, been the Uchiha who came up with that particular slur. Originally the Uchiha had called Tobirama the Senju Ghost, the use of demon as referenced to the Senju Heir had come from outside their clan.

“Tobirama’s reputation; what do you know about it?”

Madara scrunched his nose up as he stared across at the kunoichi next to a quietly whining Hashirama who was looking between everyone else at the table with wide, scared eyes. “What about it?” _He_ certainly wasn’t going to answer that kind of question from the Senju. Madara could almost _see_ the verbal trap being set for him.

“Just tell us, Uchiha. What do you know about Tobirama’s reputation?”

Madara just stared back stubbornly; he wasn’t going to say a _damn_ thing. There was no good response to that question.

“He’s a demon! What’s to know?”

Madara had to resist closing his eyes in despair. Why did he bring Izuna to this, again?

“Uh-huh. And now I’d like someone who isn’t bitter that my baby cousin bats him around the battlefield like a cat toy to answer that question.”

“_What!_” Izuna’s very intelligent response to that was so high pitched it was almost out of the realm of human hearing. 

Madara sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, reaching out with his other hand to smack Izuna on the head.

“Why? Why do you want us to answer this question so badly?” Casting another look at Hashirama, “and what’s wrong with him?”

Tōka leaned back in her field chair and crossed her arms as she stared across at the Uchiha clan head. “We want to know what you’ve heard about Tobirama’s kids.”

“What!”

“_Kids!_” this time Izuna’s high-pitched yelp was accompanied by him flailing sideways and almost falling off his chair.

Fortunately for Madara’s peace of mind, Izuna’s flailing was overshadowed by Hashirama’s jumping at the loud noise and tilting over backwards to land in a heap on the ground. The rickety field chair landing on top of him.

Snapping fingers made Madara look up from where he had been busy gaping at his childhood friend who instead of getting up from where he had fallen, had instead curled into a muttering ball on the ground.

“Kids. Tobirama. What have you heard, Uchiha?” Tōka’s question could not have been anymore deadpan as she stared at the Uchiha clan head. Her muttering, mushroom growing clan head was ignored with aplomb.

Thoroughly distracted by Hashirama’s overblown dramatics, he’d never known Hashirama could _grow mushrooms_ from his hair, Madara absently answered the question he had been determined he _wasn’t_ going to answer. “Kids disappear when the demon goes through. Stories say he eats them. I really doubt that, but he doesn’t have any problem hunting and killing them, that’s for sure. There’s even rumors that he kills civilian kids if there aren’t any shinobi available.”

“Hah!”

Madara jerked in shock as he looked at the laughing kunoichi across from him. Running what he had just said through his brain again he exchanged wide-eyed looks with Izuna who had stopped sputtering denial. Both of them were confused at just _why_ the Senju kunoichi who called the demon ‘baby cousin’ was laughing at such repugnant accusations. Looking back over to the Senju side of the table they saw that Hashirama had pulled himself up until just his eyes were above the table and was staring at them with wide eyes.

Hands clutching at the edge of table Hashirama stared with wide watery eyes at Madara. “Do you really think that, Madara?” he asked plaintively.

“…” Madara didn’t know how to answer that question. Izuna was no help, just looking between all of them in shock. And the Senju, Tōka, was still laughing at him. _He could **hear** the scorn in her laughter. What was he missing?_

“My baby brother? You think he hurts kids Madara? Hunts them like our fathers used to?”

Madara was starting to feel a little guilty; he didn’t like it. It wasn’t _his_ fault that children disappeared around Hashirama’s demon brother. _This_ was why he hadn’t wanted to answer, _damn it!_ If Hashirama started to cry, he was leaving.

“Hahahahaha!” Tōka laughed. “Tobirama…! Hahaha” Tōka seemed to think what Madara had said was hilarious, if the way she couldn’t stop laughing and get what she was trying to say out, was any indication.

Flushing. Getting the distinct impression that the rumors he had heard were _incredibly_ wrong, Madara glared across the table.

“It’s not funny, Tōka!” Hashirama wailed as he flopped around on the ground trying to pull himself back into his wobbly chair without actually getting up. “That’s a terrible thing to think about someone!”

“Hah!” Tōka finally calmed down enough to answer, “it was _exactly_ what Tobirama planned! You _know_ he helped those rumors spread on purpose. And they _fell_ for it! They _actually_ believe it; even knowing you! Tobirama can get anyone to believe _anything!_”

“And it was stupid! He never should have…!”

Madara just stared across at the arguing pair of Senju. _What is going on!_ “What the hell, Senju! Why would your brother do that?”

“Now we have to _explain_…!” Hashirama jerked at Madara’s question, turning his attention back to the Uchiha across from him. “Um…. Well…. I mean, there really is…. I mean….”

“You still haven’t told them.”

Everybody at the table jerked in surprise, weapons appearing in hands, as they turned at the flat statement coming from Tobirama who was now standing at one of the corners of the tent. Arms crossed, he was dressed as usual in his blue armor, white fur ruff around his neck.

Madara stared at the younger Senju brother in front of him, trying to figure out what Hashirama was supposed to tell them. _And how the hell he’d approached without anyone noticing._

“Brother! You shouldn’t….!”

“You’ve been out here for almost an hour, Anija. It isn’t that hard to tell the Uchiha that ‘no’ I don’t take pleasure in killing children. In fact, I find the practice quite disgusting and have been known to rescue and bring home children in dangerous situations. I use my reputation to find those who do enjoy hurting children and then I take great pleasure in making sure they never do so again. There. Simple. Now they know.”

Madara and Izuna gaped at the Senju standing in front of them. 

“Wha…? No.., wha…? Why would…, no….” The flailing coming from the other side of the table had Tōka cackling again as Hashirama drooped where he had finally gotten himself back into the chair. The two Uchiha watched as Tobirama stared, unconcerned, back at them, entirely ignoring his fellow Senju. The brothers tried to understand what the white demon was saying, but it was so contrary to what they knew!

“Wh-why would you _do_ that!” Izuna’s question was shrill. “You’ve _ruined_ your reputation, crazy Senju!”

Sharp red eyes zeroed in on Izuna before the Senju tilted his head, “do I care about you, Uchiha? Are you important to me?” Not giving Izuna a chance to answer the albino went on relentlessly. “No, I don’t. As such why would what you think of me ever be something that I concerned myself with. Your opinion of me is entirely irrelevant.”

Izuna didn’t know how to answer that as his brother broke in, “but it _does_ impact on the Senju.” Sharp red eyes shifted to focus on the Uchiha clan head. “Your reputation, what people believe about you, does impact the Senju. Hashirama is whispered about. The hypocrisy of claiming to want to protect children while his younger brother is believed to enjoy hunting and killing them. The reputation of the Senju suffers; there are those that would refuse to deal with you.”

Tobirama inclined his head in acknowledgment of the Uchiha clan head’s argument. “Yes. And I debated with my brother before I did anything, before I allowed the rumors to spread. He argued that it was not necessary. Our compromise is that those like yourself, those who can be trusted to keep the truth hidden could be told. The Daimyo and several of his most powerful nobles know. Select people in the administration of various cities know. Our allied clans know. Outside of those people it was considered an acceptable loss.”

Madara just stared at the man in front of him, “acceptable loss? And if it became untenable? If people refused to treat with the Senju?”

“Hashirama and I decided years ago that if it became necessary, I would be expelled from the clan.”

Izuna sucked in his breath sharply, eyes darting between his brother, Hashirama and Tobirama. The Senju kunoichi had finally stopped snickering as Tobirama talked and looked suitably serious at the albino’s words.

Madara sat back in shock as he looked between Hashirama and his brother. Hashirama looked a cross between proud and worried as he stared at his little brother. Tobirama looked the same as he always did, stoic and unyielding.

Before Madara could come up with something to say to that, Tobirama spoke. “Your concern is unnecessary, Uchiha. As I have learned, there are very few who will do more than look at me in disgust, let alone say anything. It is extremely rare that anyone cares enough for it to even be an issue.”

Madara’s eyes darted to Hashirama in disbelief, _that couldn’t be true_. Hashirama nodded at him with sad eyes.

“It’s true. As long as it’s not _their_ kids and it doesn’t happen in front of them, most people just don’t care. At least, not enough to do anything about it. Tobirama has even had people offer their kids to him. Giving away unwanted children in the hopes that he’ll leave _more important_ children alone.” Hashirama’s face scrunched up at the idea that one child could be more important or desirable than another. Enough that family would send it to what they thought was death in an effort to protect another child.

Madara looked between the Senju on the other side of the table from him. Eyes bouncing between all three as he tried to understand what they were telling him. Tried to understand the kind of thinking that would allow that. The disgust on Hashirama’s face was matched in both the other Senju present.

Blowing out his breath, hair starting to smolder as he thought of what he had just heard, Madara tried to remember that it wasn’t the people in front of him he was angry with. Flicking his head, hair flying to the side as he tightened gloved fists, Madara breathed in deeply. “Okay, and you’re telling me this, why?”

The look Tobirama sent him made Madara furiously think about what he had just asked. He was feeling stupid and he didn’t even know _why_.

“If we are to actually build this clan village you will no doubt see my children. You will be allied with us and will learn much that you would otherwise not know. As well, any future clans that join or treat with us will _also_ need to be told. The secret will get out. The days of my using my reputation to hunt those who hurt children will be coming to an end.” Tobirama kept his eyes focused on Madara as Izuna continued to gape at the Senju, “I know that there are those among the Uchiha who do not do well with surprises. It would be better if your clan had advanced warning, so I am not forced to kill any of them.”

“Tobi!” Hashirama exclaimed in admonishment.

“What, brother?” Red eyes flicked to Hashirama before returning to focus again on Madara. The younger Senju brother continued, “I have already killed for my children. Removed them from untenable situations. I am simply setting out the consequences of any negative actions taken towards those under my protection. I am aware of my reputation, I created it for a purpose. But that does mean that some people feel the need to test me. Testing me is one thing; presuming to involve my children would be quite another. I am simply explaining that that would be unwise and would compel a violent and instantaneous response.”

Madara watched as Tobirama’s eyes flicked briefly towards Izuna before locking with Madara’s own. The warning had been given and received. The slight nod he gave in response was returned even as Hashirama sputtered across the table.


	3. One-Two Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama surprises the Uchiha in multiple ways. One is a little more pleasant than the other.

Treaty negotiations having proceeded smoothly; they had been moved into a large wooded pavilion Hashirama had grown overlooking the proposed site for the village. Both the Uchiha and the Senju elders had had their say on the treaty, several changes having been made. 

Madara stepped up onto the wooden platform as Uchiha Hitomi finished laying out the tea and food before leaving. The elders had made a last-minute demand and he had had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree before leaving for the negotiations. _He had thought they were almost finished, damn it!_ No doubt the Senju elders would return with their own last-minute demand in response. Sometimes Madara despaired of ever finishing!

Settling in his seat, Izuna sitting down next to him, Madara grumped about the coming argument. Hashirama running up to the pavilion and throwing himself into the seat opposite him didn’t do anything to make Madara’s bad mood better.

“Madara! How are you! Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” Quivering in joy Hashirama bounced a little in his seat, “we’re doing such a good thing here Mads! And we’re so close!”

“Hn.”

Not paying any attention to the unenthusiastic response, Hashirama eagerly reached out towards the sweet rice crackers on the plate set between them. “Yeowch!” Shaking his hand, Hashirama jerked it back in response to the quick slap Madara had given him, keeping him from the treats. “What was that for Madara!” Hashirama pouted.

Izuna rolled his eyes at the continuing antics of the Senju clan head. Huffing and turning away as Madara and Hashirama started to bicker and screech at each other about manners and waiting for the proper time. Eyes catching site of the tall, blue clad form of Tobirama calmly walking towards the pavilion he focused on his rival. Only to blink heavily and _stare._

Tobirama had stopped wearing his armor and fur ruff several weeks ago as negotiations had gotten to the point where even the most die-hard opponent to the peace had admitted that the village was happening. At that point the tall, pale Senju had started to arrive in a simple hakama and kimono shirt in his signature blue. The only visible armor being the happuri he still wore.

Today, all Izuna could do was gape, as he watched Tobirama approach in a formal blue kimono, happuri missing. The tight black sash around Tobirama’s waist emphasized his tall slim form. While the lack of happuri, which no Uchiha had ever seen the pale Senju without, gave the impression that the Senju was shockingly indecent; almost half-dressed. But what really had Izuna frozen in surprise, even more than Tobirama’s naked face, was the delicate silver glasses perched on the albino’s nose.

Izuna swallowed as his eyes tracked Tobirama’s path from the edge of the trees where he had emerged towards the pavilion. Sharigan spinning to life involuntarily he saw Tobirama’s immediate reaction to his shifting chakra and the way red eyes flicked in a rapid assessment before coming to rest on Izuna.

_By the ancestors; Madara is **right**! How does he do that?_ Izuna knew, he just _knew_, that Tobirama was irritated with him. The Albino’s face hadn’t even twitched from his usual stern expression, his stride hadn’t changed, neither speeding up nor slowing down. And yet, Izuna knew that Tobirama was questioning both the reason that he had activated his sharigan, while at the same time he was casting aspersions on Izuna’s intelligence.

Normally Izuna would be bristling at this point. How dare that pointy faced bastard call him stupid, even if it _wasn’t_ out loud. But today he was too busy memorizing the changes to Tobirama’s appearance. He had already noted that Tobirama was surprisingly slim. That had become obvious the first time he had seen the Senju without his armor on. But now, with the lack of happuri framing his face, or fur ruff adding bulk to his shoulders, Izuna could truly see the Ghost for the first time. If he wasn’t so damned tall, he could almost be called delicate. The addition of square lenses framed in silver just added to the impression.

Madara and Hashirama continued to squabble, paying no attention to anything going on around them, until Tobirama sat in his seat. Hashirama immediately noticed the stack of paperwork his brother had placed in front of him and drooped forward with an air of despair. Creeping one hand forward, hoping that Madara wouldn’t notice, Hashirama sneakily grabbed two of the sweet crackers the Uchiha had brought. The Uchiha sweet rice crackers were just one more reason why the village was an absolutely brilliant idea. Nothing else would be quite as good for dealing with all that paperwork.

Madara had been about to reach over the table to shove Hashirama’s face into the crackers he was whining about so much when the stack of papers and scrolls dropped on the table caught his attention. Looking up at Tobirama he froze. Mouth gaping open in mid-shout, Madara could do nothing but stare.

Tobirama settled himself, ignoring Hashirama’s usual dramatics and the strange staring by the Uchiha. _I wonder what their problem is this time._ Dividing the stack of paperwork into three sections and setting the little basket he had brought to contain the scrolls to the side, Tobirama looked up at Madara in expectation.

The Uchiha clan head continued to gape silently as he stared at the pale Senju across the table from him. Pretty red eyes topped by white eyelashes were framed by delicate silver glasses. White hair was free to curl and shift in the slight breeze while the red lines on the Senju's face and chin emphasized his high cheekbones and long slender neck. The missing happuri turned what usually looked like a frown into simply a serious, intent expression. This quiet, scholarly looking man looked nothing like the demonic Senju, the second strongest of his clan, and Madara couldn't stop gaping.

Shifting his gaze from Madara to Izuna didn’t give Tobirama any answers to what the problem was. Izuna, while not gaping like his brother, was almost motionless as he continued to use the sharigan to stare at Tobirama.

Making sure to keep his chakra rotating to ensure that no genjutsu could latch on without being broken, Tobirama waited a few minutes as his brother tried to look busy while doing nothing and the Uchiha continued to gape. Losing patience with the lack of discussion, they were here for treaty negotiations not to waste time, Tobirama started. “We have almost reached the end of the treaty negotiations. The Senju elders tried to throw a last-minute demand to delay us yet again, no doubt the Uchiha elders have tried the same. May we hear the demand, Uchiha-sama?” 

“Wh-what?” Madara sputtered, blinking to bring his mind back from the blank white-space the sight of the Senju Ghost had sent it into.

“The last-minute demand your elders are using to try to delay the treaty?” Tobirama looked at Madara, “may we hear it?”

Madara blinked, still bring his brain back to working order before he started sputtering for a different reason, “what! What demand? Who said that my elders were petty and made a silly demand!”

Hashirama looked up in question, his fourth sweet cracker in hand as he nibbled. “No one. Why? Did your elders make a silly demand?”

Madara dragged his eyes away from pretty red eyes framed in silver to look at his old friend, “what? No! What?” Confused, Madara looked franticly at Izuna who was still staring silently at Tobirama and was absolutely no help. 

“But Madara,” Hashirama whined in confusion, “isn’t that what you just said?”

“Said what?”

“Enough!” The air around Tobirama had sharpened when Madara and Hashirama turned their attention to him. “Did you elders have a last-minute demand or not, Uchiha-sama?”

Blinking at the pretty red eyes under fluffy soft looking hair staring at him, Madara tried desperately to concentrate. “What? Demands?” Madara thought furiously, “Yes! Yes, they had a… silly…”. 

As Madara relayed his elders requests the sharp feeling in the air faded away. Looking anywhere but at the younger of the two Senju across from him, Madara continued to speak. _Why can't the elders just accept what we had already worked out? It's a good deal, balanced, neither side taking advantage of the other! Why is the Senju Ghost so pretty!_

“What do you think, Tobi?”

“Very well, we can agree to this. May I assume that the Uchiha elders have no more demands?”

“Not at this time?” Madara sighed, tired. “But you know elders. Give them enough time to think and they’ll think of _something_ to cause us problems. Hopefully the Senju elders will make their decision fast enough that this will actually be the end.” This stalling was something all four of them had discussed before. 

“That will not be necessary.”

Madara and Hashirama turned to look at Tobirama as the pale Senju reached into his obi and pulled out one of his prized possessions; an actual ink-pen, an expensive invention from the land of Iron.

“Tobi?”

“I have already taken into consideration the Uchiha request.” Flipping several pages over to lay out three lists, Tobirama started crosschecking, noting and crossing out items. Comparing lists, Tobirama continued to work as he spoke, “Early in the negotiations I added several conditions that my research had indicated the Uchiha elders were highly probable to ask for. I included them in the demands presented to our own elders. I also included several demands that I estimated the Senju elders would eventually think of in the early drafts to the Uchiha elders. The latest demands from the Senju elders have already been agreed to by the Uchiha elders. I just did not tell them that as I didn’t want to encourage any of them to think of any more ridiculous ways to delay the treaty. The same is true of the Uchiha elders demands.”

Placing a short list in front of the other three at the table, Tobirama spoke absentmindedly, “these are the terms the Uchiha and Senju elders agreed to that were not actually asked for in the negotiations.”

Unrolling a fresh blank scroll, heavy and expensive, Tobirama continued to write quickly, referencing several draft treaties he pulled out of another stack of papers. “Stripping those conditions out will give both sets of elders the impression that their clan head fought ferociously for them. A last-minute concession from the other clan, you could say. Giving us the leeway to get the treaty as currently agreed ratified. If we work quickly, neither the Uchiha nor Senju elders should be able to come up with another delay. We could be finished in only a few days.”

“Tobi!” Hashirama was the only one that was able to respond, and even he didn’t seem to know what to say.

“What?” Tobirama continued to write, ignoring the three men staring at him.

“What do you mean, ‘_what_’, Senju!” Izuna growled leaning towards the white-haired man aggressively. “That’s not the way it works!”

“Of course it is,” came the matter-of-fact response as Tobirama ignored Izuna’s anger. “The basis of all treaty negotiation is to identify and spell out the preferred outcome. Once you have done that you identify items you are willing to concede to the other side and items you wish to add to your own. Then, before negotiations begin you add items you are willing to concede. This creates room for the other side to feel they have won a concession when you give in.” Tobirama seemed to be coming to the end of the document he had been copying down. “The trick is to always remember the original preferred outcome and allow your opponent to believe that they have gained more than you have during the negotiations. Letting them ‘win’, or at least let them feel like they ‘won’.”

“Here.” Tobirama passed over the contract he had just finished writing as he waved a hand over it absentmindedly. Using one of his minor wind jutsus to dry the ink quickly. “Both clans should be happy with this.”

“SEN-_JU!_” Izuna fumed. _“That’s not the way it works!”_

“…I’m…, I’m not feeling like I’ve won,” came Madara’s faint response.

“Tobi…, Tobira, that’s not…. Madara, just…he doesn’t….” Hashirama dithered back and forth between trying to talk to Tobirama and Madara.

“Of course, not,” Tobirama briefly looked up at Madara from where he was copying the contract out again. “Stop that brother.” 

Tobirama went back to writing. “The four of us set the terms for the preferred outcome within the first couple of days. After that there was just the negotiations with our elder councils to take place. Concessions to get the people who were satisfied with the status quo to be willing to accept the changes this treaty codifies.

Tobirama continued to write; this time the paper was filling up much faster. Finally, with a satisfied sigh, the Albino leans back, dries the ink, and sets another copy of the treaty contract down between both sides. “Have you finished checking the final draft? I probably should have asked before writing the copy, but I have to admit to being very excited.”

At this point Hashirama had given up on having any sort of control over Tobirama or the negotiations he was nominally supposed to be in charge of. No one had been paying him any attention, and he had to admit that he might, maybe, possibly, have dropped the kunai here. He hadn’t even _noticed_ that the lists of demands given to both the Senju and Uchiha elders had been modified from what they had been speaking about during negotiations. Madara had probably just thought Hashirama was relying on the written offers instead of verbal, leaving it up to Madara to convince his elders. But Hashirama hadn’t even noticed that Tobirama had been substituting his own demands to the Senju elders. 

It’s just, the elders are so _boring_. And they never do anything but argue with him. They had dragged their heels and tried to demand impossible things at the beginning! Like that the Uchiha would all agree to have their sharigan sealed. Or that the Uchiha had to agree to shut down their forges. Tobirama was so much better at talking the elders into things. He’d been feeling discouraged and frustrated instead of the happy he wanted to feel at his dream finally becoming a reality. And Tobi hadn’t objected when he’d asked him to take over negotiating with the elders; find a compromise both the Uchiha and Senju could agree to. This might, maybe, sort-of, kind-of, possibly might _be his fault._

As Hashirama was having his minor epiphany, Madara had continued to stare at Tobirama for a few minutes before slowly reaching out to the two contracts on the table in front of him and reading through them. Everything was there, everything they’d demanded. Everything, except a few minor concessions that he had worked _hard_ for. Arguing with his elders late into the night to get the terms the Senju had demanded. And now…! Now the Senju Demon in front of him was just casually declaring all his hard work unnecessary. Giving up. Giving in. 

The elders were going to jump on this contract before he’d even put it down.

“Yes,” Madara’s voice was wavery. “I think this will work.”

Getting up from his seat. Not even feeling Izuna’s hand where it had been braced on his shoulder fall off. Madara started to walk back towards his guards waiting at the edge of the clearing. Pausing, still in shock, Madara exchanged looks with his brother just before they reached the guards.

“Did that…?”

“Not here.”

“But…”

“No. Not here. Wait until we get home.”

“_Fine!_” Izuna turned to look back at where the pale Senju was gathering up his papers and supplies while his brother clutched the plate of sweet crackers to his chest with one hand. Chewing through the crackers at speed as he watched his brother with wide wary eyes. “Did he really say he was _excited?_”

Madara paused in his walk and turned to look back to where Izuna was still standing. Thinking back, he tried to run through what he’d just heard. “Yeesss? I think so.”

“Huh?” Izuna grunted, “how can you tell?”

Madara looked over Izuna’s shoulder at the pavilion where the Senju brothers were just leaving. Tobirama looked the same as he ever did, of course. But there _had_ been an air of anticipation around him as he was copying the contract scroll Madara was holding. “I don’t know. I guess you just have to watch him closely to be able to tell.”

“I could watch him all day.”

“What was that!” Izuna whirled to look at the Uchiha clansmen that had been acting as guards and were waiting for them. “Who said that!” he hissed.

Several dark heads turned and looked around before the entire group looked at Izuna blankly. Whoever it was, was keeping quiet.

Izuna made steaming kettle noises as he stomped past and started to run in the direction of the Uchiha compound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have absolutely no knowledge of what would be included in a treaty between the Senju and the Uchiha. I wasn't willing to kill myself for weeks researching either. I particularly don't know what picky elders whose true goal is to delay or possibly derail the entire process might ask for. So that's why you don't get any details. Just go with whatever you think would be appropriate.


	4. What a Difference a Change Makes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama has a mission that requires a little preparation. He doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I skipped ahead to after the village has been established, because that was the next snippet that I finished. So here's the warning: these chapters will be out of order chronologically. There isn't a true plot - so it should be fine.

Part 1

“Hashirama!” Madara opened the door to the Hokage’s office with a slam. The door swung inwards and ricocheted off the wall and back towards Madara’s face. This wasn’t unusual, Madara entered many rooms this way, Hashirama’s office in particular. What was unusual was the way his attention had been caught by the people in the room who had turned to look at him, thus causing him to miss the return of the door and have it hit him in the face.

Sputtering in rage, punching the door violently until it swung and imbedded itself in the wall behind it Madara gaped at the scene in front of him. “Wh-what…. What are you _doing!_” Madara’s reason for going to find Hashirama was entirely forgotten as he tried to get his mind around what he was seeing.

Seated on the chair behind Hashirama’s desk was someone that_ looked_ remarkably like Tobirama; if the albino had suddenly sprouted hair as long as Hashiramas. Hashirama was standing behind the desk as well, glowing green hands shifting through long silver hair in a repetitive petting motion.

Flat red eyes stared out of a remarkably pretty face framed, not by a happuri, but by long silvery strands. “Uchiha.” 

Madara couldn’t keep himself from gapping at Tobirama’s voice coming from the person in front of him.

“You broke the door.”

“Wh-what!” Madara blinked, hair poofed up as his arms flailed out to the side, trying to understand what he was seeing, “h-how? What! What is going on!”

“I don’t understand the question.”

Hashirama spoke right over Tobirama’s flat statement, “isn’t it pretty? I love it when Tobirama has to grow his hair out like this, it’s so pretty and shiny.” Shining brown crescent-eyes turned in Madara’s direction. Madara took a step back at the crazed grin splitting Hashirama’s face as he continued, “you can help me! Tobirama always cuts it off after he doesn’t need it anymore. But you can help me convince him to keep it! Madara!”

Madara didn’t stop, he took one look at Hashirama’s crazy eyes and turned to run away. Speeding up as he heard his childhood friend leap the desk and start charging after him.

-

Back in the Hokage’s office Tobirama huffed in displeasure before running a hand through the length Hashirama had added to his hair. _At least Anija finished before going to play with his friend_. Picking up the strip of leather that was waiting on the desk in front of him, Tobirama bound his hair up in a high tail before picking up the work he had been doing at his brother’s desk as Hashirama grew his hair out and left to his own office. He was much more comfortable there; all of his supplies were in the optimal position and work could proceed without interruption.

Walking past his assistant Tobirama continued into his office entirely oblivious to the gaping and staring happening behind him. Setting down the stack of paperwork he had been working on in his brother’s office, Tobirama turned back to stand in his doorway. Iori had been his assistant back at the Senju compound, and considering the fact that they were both studiously ignoring the three separate shinobi that had just walked into the wall outside of his office, Tobirama was extremely grateful that he had been able to shout down Hashirama’s idea that he needed a new one for the village. Ordering the mineral and protein heavy lunch necessary to replace the nutrients Hashirama had just pulled from his body to grow his hair out so fast, Tobirama shut his door and went back to work.

__

Senju, formerly Kaguya, Iori finished the report he was re-writing for Tobirama-sama. Filing the original, with the corrections Tobirama-sama had included, in the proper cabinet, Iori picked up all of the stacks of paperwork that had been sorted so far this morning. Brushing his fingers over the discreet seal on the corner of his desk he pocketed the wallet of cash that appeared.

Standing, Iori walked calmly away from his desk. Ignoring the shinobi still gathered in the hallway, two of which had walked into walls a few minutes ago, Iori skirted around his fellows and headed for the stairs.

“Senju-san!”

Iori kept walking.

“Senju-san!”

Iori pretented not to have heard the call as he walked down the stairs in the direction of the records department.

“Senju-! Senju Iori-san! Please wait!”

Iori set down half the files he was carrying on the records departments desk and smiled at his ‘sister’ Saya. “Please file these for me, Saya-chan. Tobirama-sama is getting ready for a mission and trying to finish all his paperwork.”

“Oh? Can you te-…”

The abrupt slamming open of the door behind Iori cut Saya off as half a dozen shinobi spilled through the doorway in a heap as they all fought to be the first.

“Who was that? Iori-san!”  
“Iori-san, please!”  
“Long-hair. How! How did he do that!”  
“Senju-san was that Tobirama-sama!”  
“Who was that! It couldn’t have been…. Was it!”

The pile of yelling Konoha-nin didn’t even get a chance to do more than struggle to separate themselves before their target had jumped up, kicked of the wall, briefly connected himself with chakra covered fingers to the ceiling and then he was over them and gone.

Saya watched as the pile separated themselves out, before half of them rushed off after her adopted brother and the rest shuffled their way back up the stairs. Lifting her hand to cover her mouth Saya giggled as she picked out what the pile of Uchiha, and the single Yamanaka had been saying. “Oh! It’s one of _those_ missions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the set-up for Part 2 - lets see if anyone can guess


	5. What a Difference a Change Makes (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama has a mission that requires some preparation. He doesn't understand what everyone's problem is. Conclusion

Part 2

Standing next to the hole in the ground where the foundation was being laid, Tobirama handed the final blueprint for the library and the academy to Hashirama. Both additions to the Administration Complex should be finished by the time he had returned from his mission. Studiously ignoring the staring from the surrounding people, Tobirama reminded his brother, “I need to leave no later than tomorrow afternoon. Have you talked to Madara about who is going to replace Naoto and Saburō as my backup?”

“What? Why would you need to replace Naoto and Saburō?” Hashirama looked up in confusion.

“Naoto is in Wind, Anija. And Saburō is still healing from a broken leg.” Tobirama gave his brother a flat look, absently reaching up to brush the long hair held back in a high tail away from his face where the wind had blown it. “We discussed this when the mission came in.”

“Oh, heh-heh…,” Hashirama shuffled a little away from his irate little brother. “I forgot?”

“Anija!” Tobirama snapped, reaching up he again brushed the hair away from his face. “We need to go over the mission parameters. This is important!”

“Yes! Yes, Tobi! I know! I’ll talk to Madara as soon as I go inside. We can start pulling same names.”

Tobirama huffed, “just remember. They need to be able to both ride a horse and convincingly pass as samurai.” Tobirama surveyed the number of conveniently placed shinobi that were still staring at him two days after Hashirama had grown out his hair for him. “Or at least ronin.”

“Miho and Taiki are still available?”

“Of course. Both of them are stationed in the village at administrative posts.” Tobirama reached up to brush his hair out of his face _again_. This was why he always cut his hair short when he was finished with the infiltration; it was _such_ a bother. And his happuri didn’t fit right when it was long, forcing him to wear his glasses instead of relying on the seals inscribed into the metal of his face guard.

Tobirama’s left eye twitched minutely in annoyance as he gave up. Gesturing at the blueprints he had given Hashirama he asked if there were any questions before pulling his hair out of the tail and just turning into the wind.

The two Senju brothers looked over the foundations that were being put down for the new academy at the base of the Hokage Tower. The fact that one Uchiha and two Sarutobi fell into the hole was ignored.

Part 3

“Are you sure this is necessary, Hashirama?”

“Yes!” Hashirama fluttered around Tobirama where he was pulling fine fabrics out of the chest, he kept them safely stored in.

“Fine. I’ll meet you in your office in an hour.”

“Yes!”

Tobirama turned suspicious eyes on his brother over his shoulder at a second enthusiastic exclamation.

Hashirama shuffled nervously, “you know you should, Tobirama. You know it’s a bad idea to surprise your team in the middle of a mission.”

Tobirama put the pile of white, silver and red down on the table next to him before waving dismissively at his brother. He knew Hashirama was correct. He just didn’t understand why everyone was always so surprised when he got ready for his infiltration missions. It made him miss Naoto and Saburō even more, they never made a fuss.

Forty minutes later and Tobirama was trying to ignore the small crowd that had started to follow him since he had entered the more populated parts of the village. The Uchiha, who had almost all activated their sharigan, were doubly ignored.

Bracing himself internally, he knew Hashirama was up to something, Tobirama turned the final corner for the Tower ahead of him.

The flicker of chakra warning him just in time, Tobirama stopped abruptly and took a single step to the side to avoid the plummeting body that had faltered in its leap from the rooftop next to the street. 

___

Dazed from his surprised fall, Izuna found himself in a heap on the road in front of the Hokage Tower staring at a pair of tabi covered feet in traditional zori sandals. He could just see the red lining along the edge of the kimono on the figure in front of him. Blinking heavily, sharigan active, Izuna dragged his eyes slowly upward. Heavy black silk slowly gave way to scarlet red just above the knees, all of it covered in the embroidered forms of gold fans forming the background for silvery white cranes. A broad gold obi with silver waves cinched tight at the waist. 

As his eyes continued up the body in front of him, Izuna finally came to the vision that had caused him to lose concentration and crash into the roadway. Staring down at him was a tall, silver haired woman with a delicately pointed chin and the lightest blue eyes he had ever seen. Silver hair was pulled up and held in place with elaborate enameled flowers, a single kanzashi stuck out with a fall of red stone beads and silver bells.

“Izuna.”

“Wha…?” Izuna couldn’t believe it, the beauty knew his name! And she had spoken to him in such a beautiful bell tone! Realizing that he was still laying in the road just staring, Izuna quickly scrambled to his feet. “Yes! You know me?”

Staring straight into blue eyes on a level with his own, Izuna tried to remember if he had ever seen her before. There was something about her that was poking at his brain. The blank expression on that pale face with only the barest coating of the white paint so many nobles used was so _familiar_. The bright red lips and markings around the eyes too. But at the same time, Izuna couldn’t help but think that it was all wrong.

“Hn.”

Izuna was shocked at the rude sound that had come out of the stunning noble woman in front of him. Even more so as she turned away from him to face Hikaku and Shunsui.

“Did Hashirama call all of you in?” the woman started walking towards the Tower.

Tripping in an effort to stay by the mysterious woman, Izuna ignored his clansmen as they followed him shaking their heads. _‘What do they know!’_ Izuna stared at the side of the woman’s face coming around in front of her to get a better view. “Yes! But who are you, if I may ask? Are you the one who asked for a mission?” _ ‘She called him Hashirama? NO! Hashirama has Mito, he can’t have this goddess too!’_

It was the _feeling_ of sheer disdain and accusations of idiocy wafting off that still, proud face that made all the blood drain out of Izuna’s face. Staring in horror, eyes still active, Izuna followed the silver haired woman in the elaborately colorful kimono into the Tower desperately trying to deny what his senses were telling him. That expression! That hair and skin! _‘Flame strike me! What is going on! She can’t be!’_

Wavering on his feet as he followed, Izuna reached out to Shunsui to brace himself. “It’s…, it’s….”

“Izuna-sama?” Shunsui kept his arm under his clan heir’s elbow as they continued to follow the noble woman towards the Tower. Izuna’s reaction was strange, but then, Izuna’s reactions were often strange. Shunsui didn’t want to offend a potentionally important client just because Izuna couldn’t keep his head around a pretty girl.

“It’s….”

“Yes! She’s very pretty!” Hikaku’s exasperated comment came from Shunsui’s other side as he looked past his cousin to Izuna. Hikaku’s annoyance was obvious as he sent judging eyes at his clan heir.

“NO!”

*

Both Hikaku and Shunsui turned confused to Izuna, who was backing away with the most horrified look on his face. Exchanging glances both Uchiha decided that they didn’t_ want_ to know what was going through Izuna’s head this time. First, Izuna saw a pretty girl and fell off a building. Now, he was horrified at the idea of someone calling her pretty? Sometimes it just wasn’t worth it, to try to figure out what was going through Izuna’s head.

Dragging Izuna behind him, Hikaku followed Shunsui into the Tower on the way to the Hokage’s office only to stop as the woman they had been following walked up to Hashirama who had been waiting for them. The mission office was crowded with multiple shinobi.

“Anija, we only need two nins who can convincingly act as samurai guards. Why are they all here?”

“Tokiko-hime!”

“Don’t call me that.”

Hikaku dragged a barely upright Izuna to the front of the crowd trying to figure out why that exchange sounded so familiar.

“It’s…, it’s….” Izuna was whimpering, staring at the woman standing straight and elegant next to Senju Hashirama.

“Aww, but imoto!”

“Don’t call me that.”

*

Madara walked into the Tower and looked around in surprise at all the nins there. He knew that his childhood friend had been up to something, he’d been too gleeful as he sent out summons. But he didn’t know what.

Looking around, Madara saw more than twenty nins, from various clans. Walking up behind Hashirama he heard that last exchange. Confused, he commented, “but you don’t have a sister.”

“That is not entirely true. I suppose it is a matter of perspective.” The voice was richly confident and very definitely female.

Madara gaped in shock as the woman that had been hidden behind Hashirama’s bulk stepped into view. Taking in the tall silver haired woman, Madara could see a definite similarity to Tobirama in her features. Slim, like Tobirama, her features were a more delicate version of the White Demon’s face. Silver hair was pulled up and away from her face, her pale skin not truly needing the enhancement from the barely-there layer of light makeup. Six to seven centimeters shorter than the tall albino, Hashirama’s new-found sister was still tall for a woman. She lacked the Sage marks perpetually present on Tobirama’s face, but the bright red lips and marks at the corners of her eyes still brought the younger Senju to mind.

Madara’s sharigan activated as he continued to stare. The blush that exploded onto his face was entirely uncontrollable as Madara took in the sight of one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Hashirama, the great tree-stump, started bouncing up and down next to his newly revealed sister as he looked between her and Madara. “Isn’t she so pretty, Madara!” Several abortive motions as if he was going to grab his sister were halted before he even made contact. The sharp-eyed glare from icy blue eyes watched Hashirama’s hands intently.

“Yes, yes, of course.” Madara stuttered, moving a step closer to where Hashirama bounced and the composed woman standing next to him. He entirely ignored Izuna’s wheezing form where he was draped over Hikaku. Whatever Izuna’s problem was this time, he didn’t want to know.

“Wait!” Madara gave himself a shake, “since when do you have a sister! And why don’t I know about her?”

“Oh. Tokiko-hime only comes out when we have an infiltration mission from the Daimyo.” Hashirama drooped and gave his sister big, watery, sad eyes. “She says it’s too much trouble to bother most of the time.” Hashirama straightened up and gave Madara his crazy eyes, “you’ll help me convince her to come out more, right Madara?”

“Yes, of course.” Madara ignored the spectacle that was going on at the front of the crowd of nins as they all watched. He didn’t want to know why Izuna was throwing a fit. He didn’t see anything. Izuna was not in the room with them. Izuna was absolutely not thrashing around on the floor throwing a tantrum screaming about his eyes and never being able to un-see something. Madara directed his next comment to Tokiko, “no one should feel they’re not able to walk around the village. You would be perfectly safe, I hope you know no one would bother you, Senju-san.”

Light blue, almost translucent eyes left Izuna’s thrashing form to look at the Uchiha clan head. “I am perfectly able to protect myself, Uchiha. I simply do not care for the constant staring.”

“Ah.” Madara didn’t know how to answer that. Giving a brief look towards Hashirama who was staring at him pleadingly, Madara tried, “well, you are extremely beautiful, Tokiko-hime. I am sure that it is just a matter of people getting used to seeing you around.”

Madara tried to block out the sight of Izuna freezing on the ground where he had been rolling around before his little brother launched himself to his feet to start pointing and gasping. Madara could see Izuna building up for some high-pitched screeching. Desperate for something new, Madara turned back to Hashirama. “Why did you call everyone here? I know you’re up to something, Hashirama. And why aren’t we meeting in your office?”

“Ah, well…,” Hashirama grinned as he backed away from in between Tokiko and Madara.

Madara’s head whipped around as he stared at Hashirama’s sister. _‘She can do it too!’_ The exasperation wafting off the elegant form was entirely absent from the composed face as Tokiko-hime’s head turned towards him.

“Anija wished to surprise as many people as he could get away with, with my present appearance. I am only in need of two proficient swordsmen who can convincingly play the part of either samurai or ronin. Two of the Senju that I normally rely on for these missions are unavailable. Miho will come and play the part of my attendant, while Taiki will guard and take care of the horses. Unfortunately, because I will be infiltrating a noble court, I must present myself in the proper way.

“Everyone not capable of riding a horse and passing yourself off as either a samurai or ronin needs to either leave or,” here Tokiko-hime swept a shrewd gaze over all the watching nin. Calculations and knowledge of the gossipy nature of shinobi ran behind clear eyes as she continued, “at least step back so that a proper selection can be made.”

At the Senju-hime’s words a bare handful of nins were separated out of the group and presented.

“Uchiha Saito, you are one of the better swordsmen in the Uchiha clan. In addition, you have a calm demeanor and we have always worked well together in the past. Nara Masaru, you are also a sufficient swordsman and I don’t expect that you will cause problems. Maybe we will actually be able to have that Go game as well. It would be nice to have a challenge for once.

Madara was confused, he _knew_ he had never seen Tokiko before. He would remember such a stunning woman. But her words seemed to imply that she knew his clansmen and the Nara.

“This will be different than a typical infiltration mission. The court we will be sent into is going to know exactly why we are there. They will not, however, know that we are ninja. This will be a game of words and hidden messages and meanings, a game of nobles. We will speak more on this with the Daimyo’s delegate. Pack for a long mission, include more formal clothing. Make sure there are no clan markings on anything you bring with us. I will be available in the morning to seal any necessary or distinctive supplies if you are not capable of doing it yourself.”

Madara had to ask, “but, what about Tobirama? I thought this was his mission, is he not going with you?”

The explosion of sound that came out of Izuna at this point had Madara finally turning to deal with his little brother. Stomping the few feet to his wildly pointing and gesturing brother, Madara reached out to grab Izuna’s ear. “What is wrong with you, Izuna!”

Izuna batted at Madara, “the Demon! It’s the White Demon!”

“By the ancestors! Izuna!”

The two Uchiha’s continued screeching was brought to an abrupt end as a massive tidal wave of water appeared out of nowhere and swirled in a whirlpool around the two Uchiha before disappearing as suddenly as it had come. Every nin in the room, including Madara and Izuna, looked over to where Tokiko was standing, one hand held up in a half sign, before she flicked her fingers to the side and the last of the water in the room not drenching her targets disappeared.

“If you two are finished I would like to continue. I have better things to do with my time than watch Izuna be himself. Izuna, while a sufficient swordsman, would be a poor choice for this mission. I don’t even know why Anija sent for him,” a judgmental look was sent towards Hashirama. “He seems to be having even more trouble controlling himself than usual. Let us move on.”

Madara and Izuna stood there, stunned and dripping, as a clear gaze passed over the room. 

Suspicions were starting to show on several faces on the nins standing around watching the latest Senju/Uchiha spectacle. But it was the whispered awe from Uchiha Madara that finally cracked everything wide open.

“So powerful.”

*

“NO!” Izuna screeched, “No, no, no, no, no! It’s the White Demon! Aniki, you can’t! Not the White Demon!” Izuna stopped screeching and stomping long enough to point accusingly, voice deepened in aggravation, “YOU!”

The white eyebrow that lifted at him in question just caused Izuna to start sparking as electricity crackled around him as he hopped up and down.

“HOW! How are you doing this!” Izuna stared at what he knew was the White Demon with his sharigan active. “It’s not a genjutsu! How! How are you a woman! WHY!”

“I do not understand why you are having such trouble with this Izuna. It is a simple gender change, medical jutsu. This would be what I would have looked like had I been born female.” 

Tokiko, no, it was Tobirama, seemed entirely unaware of the shock from all the non-Senju in the room. Tobirama was, in fact, not unaware of the shock, she was simply unconcerned and unwilling to give Izuna in particular anything that he could use against her later. Especially not for such a minor thing as a change in gender. It was an infiltration mission, the whole point was to be unidentifiable. 

“I am still myself, Izuna. I have not changed, simply because I am a woman at the moment instead of a man.”

All the blood had drained out of Madara’s face as he just stared at Tobirama in front of him. Izuna next to him, as the only one who had truly figured it out was the only one of those present that could actually ask; he stuttered out, “b-but why? Why do you have something like… that?”

“It is rare. But there have been times that the jutsu has been necessary. Any more questions should be asked of the healers and are private,” Tobirama didn’t feel the need at this time to go into the psychological problems caused by gender dysphoria. Or the equally rare desire by a male to be able to physically carry children. “I have simply appropriated the technique for my own use when necessary.”

With that simple, and yet extremely uninformative statement Tobirama left the rest of the Konoha nin to their confusion and turned to Hashirama. “Anija. As you were the one that wanted to create a spectacle, I will leave all further explanations and questions to you. The Daimyo’s representative is waiting outside of your office. I will go speak to him. You may stay here.” 

"Saito-san, Masaru-san, come with me." Turning, Tobirama gracefully walked away leaving all the fuss behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the cultural differences strike again. True, this time it's the differences caused by a clan where _Mokuton_ is the bloodline. It might not manifest often, but it still effects the clan as a whole. Including the propensity for plants _not to have a gender_.
> 
> My female Tobirama ended up a little more imperious than male Tobirama. I wonder if that's Mito's influence.


	6. WTH, Senju!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back to before the village is constructed, the Uchiha learn more about the Senju.

Izuna looked up as he and Madara emerged from the trees into the clearing overlooking the possible site for the new village. The Senju were pushing hard for the village to be right at the base of the Mitsuka Plateau. But the Uchiha weren’t convinced. A tributary to the Naka was not far away, but it was not nearly big enough to support any sort of substantial settlement. Not without either extensive piping or a well system, and as far as the Uchiha knew the ground water was _deep_ in this area.

True, the plateau would make a very good defensive bulwark. And the stone of the cliff face was mostly granite, so defensive and escape tunnels, store rooms and shelters would be well protected, but even those who worked with stone could spend a lifetime digging something like that out of the solid granite of Mitsuka. They didn't know why they had been called here by the Senju, but the problems with the area weren't just going to go away.

Stopping abruptly at the sight in front of him Izuna grunted as Hikaku and Shunsui stumbled over each other at his abrupt stop and tripped into his back.

"Watch it!"

"Hey, what'd you stop like that for?"

Grunting again at his cousins complaining, he didn't pay any attention to them, to busy staring at the spectacle in front of him. Senju Tobirama, once more dressed in his blue armor, white fur collar and happuri in place, was kneeling in front of three sitting children. The youngest of the children must have been six or seven years old, while the other two were young teens. Three more adult Senju were spaced around the clearing obviously acting as guards although they hadn't made any sort of movement in the arriving Uchiha's direction. '_Hmpf! As if we're suddenly best friends or something stupid like that. I always knew the Senju were crazy!'_

"What's he doing?"

Izuna looked over to his brother at Madara's puzzled question only to see Madara cock his head like he did when he was trying to make sense of something he was sensing.

"He's showing my little sisters and brother how to feel the water."

"YeaAGH!"

Everyone in the clearing looked over at the screech to see Izuna throw himself sideways, start to fall as he tripped over his own feet, only to catch himself with his hand and flip back up to his feet to land in a crouch facing the forest. Izuna then whipped around, sharigan spinning, blade in hand, to find a fourth Senju standing in the middle of the group of Uchiha, and every single person in the clearing staring at him.

"Ignore him." Izuna scowled as Tobirama barely glanced at him before turning back to the pre-teens in front of him, "Akiko, Akane I want you to continue with your exercises. Remember to work together, this is not a competition. I'll be watching. For now I just want you to widen the channels and break up the bigger stones, nothing else. Follow the path I laid down for you."

Getting two acknowledgments, Tobirama turned to his youngest helper. "Are you ready, Takeuchi?"

While Tobirama had been busy continuing with his lesson Izuna had gapped at the Senju who had appeared so stealthily next to where he had been standing. "Where the hell did you come from!" Izuna shouted pointing at the teenager who was busily smirking at him. "Don't be sneaking around like that, Senju!"

The smirking teenager was opening his mouth to reply when he suddenly shifted his eyes in Tobirama's direction and stopped. Smirk still plastered over his face he simply shut his mouth and took a step back away from the group of Uchiha and back to the tree line.

Madara was determinedly watching Senju Tobirama and was ignoring his fuming brother stomping back over to his side. Hikaku was busy staring at the sky and Shunsui was watching Izuna with a grin. Ishii and Tenpi were both turned around and staring intently at the forest as if they expected something to come out of it at any moment, their shaking shoulders giving a lie to their attempts to look serious. 

"He walked out of the forest behind us and right up to you."

Izuna scowled at Shunsui's comment. Reaching out to pull his cousin's hair his hand missed as he whipped around in shock, overbalanced and tripped into Madara's side.

"Papa! Papa! I did it Papa! Did you see! Look!"

Hanging off Madara's sleeve where he had caught himself, Izuna reached up to grab a hand hold and pull himself back upright. The screeched, "IZUNA!" he received as he used a handful of his brother's hair to restore his balance was ignored as he gapped in shock only for his attention to snap back to his brother as he was shoved over.

Madara was still trying to understand just what he was sensing as he watched Senju Tobirama working with the children in front of them. He wasn't that surprised, after the scene that had taken place at the end of the treaty negotiations, to see the Senju working with children. Hearing a small boy call the pale man Papa was a shock, but he didn't have any time for a reaction before Izuna tried to first knock him over then yank out a handful of his hair. Slapping at his little brother's hands where they were gripping onto both his shirt as well as knotted in his hair Madara screeched again as Izuna snapped several finger's worth of strands. The two main line Uchiha continued to slap at each other's hands as they pushed and shoved at each other.

"What are they doing?"

The high-pitched voice came from in front of them, causing the fighting Uchiha to freeze and look over.

Senju Tobirama was now standing in front of them casually holding the small boy on his hip, one arm under the boy's thighs. The Senju didn't even have the decency to look at them as he said, "ignore them. That's just Izuna being himself."

The boy looked at them, "ooOooh. That's Izuna!"

Madara started to smirk a little. Normally he would have objected to the Senju's baiting of his brother, but Izuna deserved it this time. Madara's smirk grew as he listened to Izuna start to steam in annoyance.

"Yes. Just ignore him once he starts to screech. Remember, we don't encourage such behavior."

"Yes, Papa."

Madara smirked as Tobirama turned his attention to him. "Why were we called here, Senju? The Naka isn't going to miraculously start flowing up hill in this direction no matter how much you Senju like the area."

The slightest of frowns showed between Tobirama's eyebrows as he looked back at the Uchiha clan head, "did Anija not tell you what we were doing here, Uchiha?"

"NooOoo." Madara looked between Tobirama holding a child no older than seven and the two young girls that were still sitting in the middle of the clearing. "What _are_ you doing here, Senju?"

Madara braced himself as Tobirama turned to the child he was holding. He could tell that something was about to change. He didn't know what, but he was starting to recognize this feeling when Tobirama was around.

"Would you like to tell Uchiha-sama what we're doing, Takeuchi?"

"Yes!" a bright grin was directed at Madara as a little face topped with sandy blond hair turned in his direction. "Papa is letting me help move the river!"

"What?" Madara asked flatly. There was no way he heard that right.

"Papa is letting me help move the river! So that everyone can live here and be happy! That's what uncle Hashirama says! Right, Papa?" 

Madara and the rest of the Uchiha watch in shock as the boy turns in Tobirama's arms to direct that sunny grin at the pale man only to receive a small smile in return as Tobirama agrees softly. The small thump sound of Izuna hitting the ground caused no more than the slightest twitch in the rest of the Uchiha as they stared at the sight of a softly smiling Tobirama. The transformation, in the normally stoic Senju, as he smoothed the boy’s hair before guiding his head down to be able to reached up and kiss the boy on the forehead had all five of the remaining Uchiha frozen in shock.

Shaking himself out of what he was half convinced had been a genjutsu, despite his sharigan having recorded the entire scene, Madara turned back to where the Senju was, only to have the pale, walking source of trauma not be there.

"Finally!"

"Hn." Madara turned and looked at the teenager that had surprised Izuna so much earlier.

"Tobirama-sama said I wasn't allowed to hit any of you. That you were just being extra Uchiha and that you would stop when you stopped. But you're kind of in the way now."

"What?"

"I mean, you can stand there if you want to. But it's awful close and you'll probably get all wet and muddy. You might even have a tree fall on you.”

"What?" Madara was really tired of not knowing what was going on. Looking around he saw that Hikaku and the others were blinking and looking around in confusion as well. Izuna was still collapsed on the ground so it couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes.

"The river." 

Madara looked at the boy.

"You know, the Naka?" 

Normally Madara would start getting angry at this point in his confusion. But for some reason his reactions were sluggish and he just stared at the boy talking to him. 

"Uchiha-sama?"

The frustrated sigh from the teenaged Senju was really neither necessary or helpful.

"Please just move over this direction, Uchiha-sama." The boy motioned towards a small rocky outcrop not too far away. The rest of the Senju could be seen standing atop the ridge presumably waiting for them.

It took several more minutes before Madara had gathered the rest of his clansmen up. Shook Izuna out of his daze as he staggered to his feet and directed everyone to follow the annoying Senju up the incline. Tobirama sat directly behind the two pre-teen girls as they knelt at the edge of the short drop and looked out over the land below them. The boy that was causing them all so much confusion was sitting in the pale man's lap and Tobirama had a hand on each girl's shoulder. Madara and the other's had barely topped the rise where this scene was taking place when they heard a distant grinding rumble. The alarming sound seemed to reverberate in their bones and accompanied the ground shifting and shaking under their feet. Pebbles vibrating away from their starting point and off the edge of the cliff. Standing on top of that small ridge of stone the Uchiha watched, with the Senju guards, as a line of trees started to fall. All the way from the base of the Mitsuka plateau and off in the direction of the Naka River. A great arch of land and trees slowly disappearing downward in a cloud of dust and debris as water surged up from the ground where it hadn't been before.

Standing there. Gaping at the change in scenery before him. Watching the cloud of dust start to float down wind from where it plumed into the air. Madara didn't pay any attention to the thump of Izuna hitting the ground again as he watched Tobirama praise and congratulate the children with him on their hard work. True, Madara could move a river, could rearrange the landscape. But he couldn't _plan where it was going to go_! As if he was just shifting a futon or moving a chest.

"_WHAT THE HELL, SENJU!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to think Izuna is very clumsy outside of battle. He falls down and misses his step quite a lot.


End file.
